Electrically-operated valve.



I. G. WATERMAN. BLEGTRIGALLY OPERATED VALVE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1906. l 921 ,760.' Patented May 18, 1909. ZSHEES-SHBET 1.

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. I. G. WATERMAN. ELBGTRIGALLY OPEBATED VALVE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1908.

. Patented May 1,8, 1969.

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WITNESS/5.51 v INVENTR v Isaac 0f. Waelfnmz/ ISAAC G WATERMAN, or SANTA BARBARA, uitroeiin- EmeTmcALLY-OPERATED VALVE.

' `Spe'ciflcatioiio! Letters Patent.

Patented May is, 1909.

.application filed August 28, 1906. Serial No. 832,347..

To` all whom 'it may concern:

B'e it known that `I, ISAAC G. WATERMAN, a citizen of the vUnited States,residing at Santa'v Barbara, county of Santa Barbara, andy State of Californiayhave invented eertain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated'valves, of which the fol? Y oeratingmechanism of novel construction w ich is s'elfvcontained and adaptedfor attachment to or detachment from the valvecasing containing an l automatically'. closing valve, so thatthe valve-shell with its contained valve'can be originally tted by a plumber Iand electrician 'can afterward apply the electrical part ofthe valve and an automaticA mechanism of improved and'nove'l construction adapted'to automatically open thevalve on a .given electrical energization of the coil or solenoid and to close thevalve on a succeeding electrical` energization, said o erating mechanismbein so constructed t atyit is absolutely rel'abe inw/action and will not get out of order froin wear, or catch, or Otherwise become deranged. i Another objectis .to provide an indicatqi ada "ted teshow whether` thevalve isi open The present electricallygoperated .valve is .whe;e.th'e.pressure is very high, but is so. aclustqlg.' that it.

afteii-aaiireeted inthe appended'elaims; Intheaampanying drawings :-"-`Fi is a `vertical 'sectiomnshowing the v ve in 0 @n-I positiil'lilg. 2,9421? vertical sectiun,

s owing 'thevalvetlnse Fig. 3,' a? fewat right toFigggl, showing the operating v .-.fo'r xuse connection-with steam,A air, onwater valves ,and is capable o fuse will operateh perfectly under Th inventionis set-forth vdetailflleein.-

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the cap or head, showing lthe vin icator; and Fig. 5,- a plan view, showin Y the arts in the position Shown in Fig. 1, 'ut with the cap removed.

The valve-casing 1 is of an ordinary type. In the bottom of the valve-casing is a removable screw-plug 2, in a 'pocket in which Aslides the lower part 3*? of valve-stem 3, care rying the valve 4, which is 'adapted to iit the seat 5 inthe .valve-casing 1. The stem 3 passes through a gland or stuffing-box 6. A. coil spring 7 encircling stem 3' and inter-V posed between the valve l.tand the plug'2, tends to seat the valve.

- As thus far described, the valve is adapted to be inserted in any water, steam, or air .by a'plumber or and the .electrica operating mechanism l of the valve may be laced in position later by an electrician. Iihwever, the entire valve mechanism in section; Fig. 4, a lan view. of

i .e ipe fitter of ordinary sli, 75

may he 'urnishd'complete, ready to be cou led to the pipe.

' he valve-operating mechanism is sup-Y ported by a spider 8 which fits over a :boss 9 on valvefcasing 1 and is .held thereto by screws 10. Screwed at' 11 to thespide-r 9, .is a metal shell12, which incloses the operating mechanisms and has at its upper end a detachable cap 1 3 provided with "a slotglli,

through which the indicatbr `may be ohlThe -Coil Qi' solenoid 15 is Wound 0.11.1 0Iv which is screwed a tube 19, which passes' through the core ,-16 and .is slidable therein.

iso

designates the armature Slidabl'e within the tube 19 isa valve-eperat-f ing rod 2,0, which has a head 21 on itslowefr end adaptedto bear against the valve-stern'Y f 3 and to be limited in its upward movement j 10o by abutting the tube 19. j- Silrmounting the armature 18and Xedly held against a shoule 'del' 22 hy a ring 23, which is held by the cap.

13, is a circular guide-plate 24, which has an underecut slot 2 5 extending dialnet-Ideally therea'eross from' edge to edge thereofand 1n- 'mgJ 1n the tube 19, groove 25 isf'a slide 27, saidslide being held rsnugl'yslidabliin tlieggroeve 2 5v by@ light "no l.

leaf-s'piing 28 earing a ainst itsiinde'r face. .The -under face'of the sli e 27 isgifooved at29 tersecting. an Openin Y .26 line With the l0.156117' -lidable in the under-cut 'and receives a `eleasingiplate 30, whiehis movable independently in its groove 29 and is held yieldingly toward one end of the groove by a light coil spring 31. This releasmg plate has an opening 32 ada tedto re- 5 ceive the reduced tip 33 on the va veoperat ing rod 20 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, thus permitting spring 7 to close the valve 4.

Securedto the armature 13 and passing loosely through holes in the guide-plate 24 are two sets of pins 34 and 35. The pins 34 are bridged by a kicker-plate 36 and the pins -35 are bridged by a kicker-plate 37, said kicker plates having the respective notches 15 38 and 39.

tion shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The slide 27 is provided with two sets of ears 42 and 43, located between and pivoted to which on the pins 44 and 45, are the pawls 46 and 47, which have slightly rounded free ends 48, the toes of these pawls being adapted for reception in the notches 38 and 39 and foralternate engagement with the edges 49 and 50 ofthe kicker-plates 36 and 37, accord,- ing to the position of the slide' 27. These pawls have lat surfaces, against which bear the free ends of a leaf spring 51,whose center part is bent and received in a notch in the vslide 27 between the pawls. The form of spring can be changed, the purposeof the 35 spring being to hold the two pawls in their upwardly inclined positions so that they will be adapted for engagement by the edges 49 a'nd 50 of the kicker plates, the pawl 46v being engaged on a given energization of the arma- 40 ture, and the pawl 47 ona succeeding energization, to shift the slide 27 one way or the other to cause opening or closing ofthe valve. A fourlegged frame 52 has its legs secured to the pivots 44 and 45 and carries an indi- 45 cator-plate 53 bearing the words "On and OH which are adapted to be displayed through the sightopening 14, according to the position of the slide 27.

Assuming the valve is closed, as shown in Fig, 2, when the solenoid is electrically energized, the armature 18 is attracted very strongly to thepolar faces of the coil and has to move but a slight distance` to accomplish opening of the valve. The pins 34 and 35 Iand the tube 19, being connected to the armature, when the latter is attracted, the engagement of the tube 19 with the head 21 causes the valve-stem 3 to be pushed downwardly and the valve 4 to be opened, the r'educed end 33 being withdrawn `from the op'ening 32. Simultaneously with this operation,

- the edge 49 of kicker-plate 36 by its engagementwith the toe 48 of pawl A6, shiftst e slide 27 to bring the parts in the pos1t'1on shown in Fig. 1, thus positioning the pawl 47 i l x energized, whereupon the armature is again attracted and, by the engagement of the edge 5() with pawl 47, the slide 27 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 2, which brings the opening 32 in position to receive the reduced end 33 and permits spring 7. to close the valve, the Oil sign of the indicator being l then displayed through sight opening 14.

Instead of having the opening 32 in the I slide 27 (although such a construction would be entirely operative) it is preferable to have the opening 32 in the releasing plate 30, which is independently movable by spring 31, so that shifting of the slide 27 before the tube 19 has disengaged the tip from opening 32 will'not check or derange the operation ofthe parts, the spring 31 permitting the engagement to continue while the slide 27 is being shifted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. In an electrically operated valve, the` combination with a valve casing and valve in said casing, of a single electro-magnet having a magnetizable polar member and located outside the valve casing, an armature disposed closely adjacent the polar member aforesaid without intervening obstruction in the air gap therebetween, said valve being separate from the armature but operable thereby, means for operating the valve from the armature, and shiftable valv e-controlling means located outside the valve casingand on theopposite side of the armature from the air gap aforesaid, said means being operated l lOll by the armature to automatically control the operation of the valve from the armature, whereby the opening and closing of the valve vis automatically accomplished on alternate electrical energizations of the single electromagnet aforesaid and the armature and controlling mechanism are unaffected by the pressure of the fluid in the valve casing.

2. In an electrically operated valve, the combination with a valve and a valve-stem,

of means for impelling the valve in one direcftion, an electro-magnet, an armature controlled by the electro-magnet, said armature being adapted to move the valve in the opposite direction, a slide, independent pawls carried by the slide, kickers o erated by the armature and adapted to a ternately engage the respective pawls on alternate movements of the armature, whereby the slideis shifted iso f verned by the osition of the slide.

to and fro, and means controlled by the slide, which governs the operation of the valve by the armature.

3. In an electrically operated valve, th combination with a valve, of means for impelling the valve in one direction, an electromagnet, an armature controlled by the electro-magnet, a valve-o )erating member for moving the valve in t e opposite direction, l means for moving said valve-operating member from the armature, a shiftable releasing member, a releasing device carried by said releasing member and movable relatively to said releasingr member but also movable with it, said releasing device being 4adapted to catch and release the valve-operating member on alternate' attractions of the armatnrei by the electro-magnet, and means for antoniatically shifting said releasing member and its releasing device into and out of releasingr position, whereby the valve is opened and closed on alternate electrical energizations of the electromagnet.

4. ln an electrically operated valve, the' combination with a valve, of an electromagnet, an armature controlled by said electro-magnet, 'a slide, independent pawls carried by said slide, kickers operated by they armature and adapted to alternately engage theirespective pawls on alternate movements of the armature, whereby the slide is shifted to and fro, spring means for retracting the armature, and operative connections between the armature and valve which are gov- 5, In an e ectrically operated valve, the combination with a valve, of an electrom'agnet, an armature controlled by the. electro-magnet, means for operating the valve from the armature, a slide governing the operation of the valve by the armature, means for shifting the slide from the armature, and an indicator operated by the slide to indicate the-position of the valve.

6. In an electrically operated valve, the combination with a valve, of an electromagnet, an armature controlled by the ele'c` l tro-magnet, means for operating' the valve from the armature, a slide governing the operation ofthe valve by the armature, and means for shifting the slide from the ar1nature. v

7. In an electrically operated valve mechanism, the `combination with a single magnet, saidl magnet being oftubular. form, of an armature arranged at one end of the magnet and .normally separated therefromV by. a small space, a tube on the armature extending into the tnbular'magnet, a valve, a valve rod ,having a projection engaging with the l and having an opening,

end of said tube, connections between said rod and the valve whereby the valve is moved in the first direction at the first energization of the magnet, a spring to move the valve in the second direction and controlling mechanism moved into first and second po- -sitions by successive energizations of the magnet, in the first position to prevent the valve from being moved by its spring and in the second position to permit the valve to be moved by its spring in the second direction.

8. ln an electrically operated valve mechanism, the combination with the valve, of a single electro magnet, an armature, connections between the armature and the valve,

` whereby the valve is moved in the first direction at the first energization of the magnet, a spring tending to move the valve in the second direction, a slide moving in a path ata right angle to the movement of the armature and suitable connections between the slide and the armature whereby the slide is moved into two positions at successive movements of the armature, first to prevent the valve from`being moved by its spring and second to permit the valve to be moved by its spring.

9. ln an electrically operatedvalve mechanism, the combination with a suitable cylindrical metal shell, of a single tubular electro magnet arranged therein, an armature arranged in the Ashell above the magnet and normally at a short distance therefrom, a tube on the armature extending down into the tubular magnet, a guide plate in the shell above 'the armature having a cross-groove and a central opening registering with said groove, a slide fitted to said groove, a releasing plate fitted to a plate-groove in the slide a spring tending to maintain the releasing plate at one end of the cross-groove, connections between'the slide and .the armature to reciprocate the slide to one end and the other of its groove at successive energizations ofthe magnet, a rod in the armature tube having a fiange to engage with the end of the Atube and a tip to enter the openingin the releasing plate when the latter is in, one position and to engage with the surface of the releasingplate when thev 'latter is in the other position, a valve, a stem on the valve to engage with the flange end of the rod, and a spring to force the valve and rod in one direction.

In testimony whereof, hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ISAAC G. WATERMAN. l/Vitnesses:

CHARLES RABT, LoUis RABUT. 

